I'm in a love/hate relationship (again) and it's tearing me apart.
Some days I love Facebook. Some days I hate Facebook.
Facebook is a great invention! How many of us have reconnected with old friends through Facebook? I helped to organize two reunions with groups of college friends and other fun events through the beauty of Facebook. I keep up with so many of my former students using it. I have become reacquainted with cousins - some that I haven't seen since 1980. I can see pictures of my friends, their kids, and find out all of their latest news. I can visit with Charlie and Fred whenever I want because they're still there too.
My friend Lorraine harrasses me on a regular basis to the point that I laugh myself silly. Without Facebook I never would have been able to help my former student Victor when he was in Dallas and needed a ride to the airport - heck I wouldn't have even known he was in Dallas. I enjoy sharing family news with my dad since "no one ever tells" him anything. I now share the silly musings of this blog because I "share" it on Facebook. I play about four rounds of Scrabble every day with my friend Larry in Florida.
And then there is the goofy side that I get share (and have missed). If you don't know what I'm talking about check out my photo album "Tastykake Art." If this teaching thing doesn't work out, I think I could be to Tastykake what Andy Warhol was to Campbells Soup!
Tonight in a magazine I read that a recent study at Kent State University found that "presenting yourself positively on the side (such as through status updates or photo albums) increases well-being and self-worth . . ." So Facebook must be a good thing right?
Facebook is soooooo much fun!!!!!!!!
Facebook is the bane of my existence. As Betty White said "Facebook is a huge waste of time." I've been done with school for over a week, by now I was supposed to have cleaned out the closets, scrubbed the floors, cleaned out the refrigerator, worked out regularly, and read lots of books. Eleven days after school has let out I have yet to clean out the closets, scrub the floors, or clean out the refrigerator (I have worked out, but I have the Facebook app on my IPhone which I take with me so I can listen to music, so . . . ) and I've finished one book that I was reading before school got out.
More times than not, I have felt slighted because I was left out of something and then found out about it on Facebook. And honesty, I could do without the comments people have made about some of the bad decisions I made in college (I think most of those have been removed - breathing heavy sigh of relief here). There are the junior high pictures when I was in my awkward stage (please don't go looking for them) that even I never wanted to see again which someone else posted.
Today in the "People You May Know" box a guy popped up that I met 10 years ago at a wedding in Texas (four years before I thought about moving to Texas!). He and his wife were nice people. I met them one other time after that . At some point I heard through our mutual friends that they had gotten divorced. Yadda, yadda, yadda. The wife and I became "friends" (acquaintances) on FB. Turns out now that all of my "new" Dallas friends (not just FB friends but truly friends that I go out with) are "friending" the husband, so in Facebook logic I must know him too.
This got me thinking. What if you had a really bad divorce, breakup, whatever? What happens to the Facebook friends? Do you stay friends? Does they become part of the settlement?
Anyway, I am going to make a solemn promise to myself right here and now. Tomorrow I will not get on Facebook at all until AFTER I accomplish one of the summer To Do tasks. I'll begin one as soon as I get done with my workout. ; )
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Rising Up
Hello all 6 of my readers - haha! Which one of you is a dream analyzer? (Actually I know which one is and I look forward to your comments).
Last night (this morning if you want to be technical about it), I had a dream that I was on my way home from school (I was in school) and had a decision about which way to get there. I chose to go on the train, even though I was alone and unsure. As soon as I got on the train, a man came up to me and picked me up by the shirt with one hand and raised me up. High up, above him, above everyone else on the train. I was petrified because this guy scared me. It seemed to me that the other people on the train were scared of him too, but no one did anything to stop him. He put me down almost as fast as he picked me up though. I went to my seat where I was not bothered again, but comforted by a friend I haven't seen in a while (for those in the know Cackman - go figure).
I awoke from that dream to start my day, but I've wondered about it all day long. What did mean? Was this person trying to scare me? Is there someone out there who does scare me? Why did he let me go? Why was Cackman comforting me?
After much thought, this is what I think I got from it (but would love to hear from you too). These past six months have been a huge time of change for me. Relationships have changed, some have ended completely, some have grown out of a comfort of loss, there's been death, new relationships, a rediscovery of my religion, lots of things.
Last night I watched as my beloved Miami Heat lost the NBA Championship to the Dallas Mavericks. Those who know me know that I have been a Heat fan for years - going to games since the '88-'89 opening season with Rony Seikaly, Jon Sunvold and Ron Rothstein, had season tickets for a number of years, met Tim Hardaway (twice) and had a crush on 12th man off the bench Marty Conlon. Well last night as the Heat lost, I heard the taunts from many a Mavericks fan (and some who were not).
To me the rivalary was fun. It's just a game after all, the results of which weren't going to change my life. However, I felt like some of the remarks were just down right mean. I began to take what people were saying to me seriously. After a weekend that included other disappointments which I had no control over, these remarks would have put me over the edge. They would have added to the disappointment of being let down and maybe sent me reeling.
I am proud to say that they didn't. I think that's what my dream was about. I think it was God lifting me up as if to say "look how far you've come." Reminding me that I can rise above my disappointments on this crazy train of a life.
Last night (this morning if you want to be technical about it), I had a dream that I was on my way home from school (I was in school) and had a decision about which way to get there. I chose to go on the train, even though I was alone and unsure. As soon as I got on the train, a man came up to me and picked me up by the shirt with one hand and raised me up. High up, above him, above everyone else on the train. I was petrified because this guy scared me. It seemed to me that the other people on the train were scared of him too, but no one did anything to stop him. He put me down almost as fast as he picked me up though. I went to my seat where I was not bothered again, but comforted by a friend I haven't seen in a while (for those in the know Cackman - go figure).
I awoke from that dream to start my day, but I've wondered about it all day long. What did mean? Was this person trying to scare me? Is there someone out there who does scare me? Why did he let me go? Why was Cackman comforting me?
After much thought, this is what I think I got from it (but would love to hear from you too). These past six months have been a huge time of change for me. Relationships have changed, some have ended completely, some have grown out of a comfort of loss, there's been death, new relationships, a rediscovery of my religion, lots of things.
Last night I watched as my beloved Miami Heat lost the NBA Championship to the Dallas Mavericks. Those who know me know that I have been a Heat fan for years - going to games since the '88-'89 opening season with Rony Seikaly, Jon Sunvold and Ron Rothstein, had season tickets for a number of years, met Tim Hardaway (twice) and had a crush on 12th man off the bench Marty Conlon. Well last night as the Heat lost, I heard the taunts from many a Mavericks fan (and some who were not).
To me the rivalary was fun. It's just a game after all, the results of which weren't going to change my life. However, I felt like some of the remarks were just down right mean. I began to take what people were saying to me seriously. After a weekend that included other disappointments which I had no control over, these remarks would have put me over the edge. They would have added to the disappointment of being let down and maybe sent me reeling.
I am proud to say that they didn't. I think that's what my dream was about. I think it was God lifting me up as if to say "look how far you've come." Reminding me that I can rise above my disappointments on this crazy train of a life.
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